Minimalism: Is Less Really Better?
Hello, lovely readers! I hope you are having a wonderful day so far. This week’s blog post is about minimalism—what it is, the benefits of this lifestyle, and my personal experience as a minimalist. There are links to additional resources highlighted throughout this blog post, so please check them out if you’re interested in learning more!
What is minimalism?
Minimalism is not a one-size-fits-all lifestyle, so the meaning can be different for everyone. However, it's generally defined as a lifestyle of simplicity. You mainly focus on the things that you need and what adds value to your life, rather than acquiring a bunch of stuff that you won’t even use. It’s more than just the pleasure of owning less, it includes finding happiness in doing less too. Having the free time to do more of what we love is a key factor for many minimalists—we only want to focus on what matters to us.
The Benefits:
#1: You have time to do what you want.
As I mentioned, freedom is a key component of the minimalist lifestyle. When you live lavishly, you gotta have the money to support that lifestyle; and for some people, this means working more than one job. Imagine the extra time you can have doing more of what you want, rather than working extra hours of the day. Not only that, when you have minimal commitments in life, you have more time to pursue what really matters to you.
#2: It helps reduce stress.
When you remove the clutter in your life, both physical and mental, it reduces stress. It can be overwhelming dealing with a messy or chaotic environment, so when you purge or get rid of the unnecessary, you eliminate the stress that comes with it.
#3: You save money.
Just to be clear, owning less stuff as a minimalist doesn’t mean you automatically save more money—you can still overspend on entertainment, dining out, and other experiences. However, when you have it in your mind that you’re only going to spend money on what’s necessary, you’ll do less frivolous spending, which will save you money in the long run.
#4: You’re content with what you have.
Minimalism teaches us to be content with what we have and that our happiness doesn’t have to be found in acquiring material things. When you’re content as a minimalist, you find pleasure in the simplest things like watching the sunset/sunrise, listening to music, and spending time with loved ones. You’ll be focused on enjoying life, rather than worrying about the next thing to buy.
My Life as a Minimalist:
Minimalism came naturally for me. Growing up poor I never had much, so I think that made it easier for me to be okay with having less things because I was already used to it. I was taught to make sure all of my bills are paid before spending money on other expenses, so I understood the importance of handling priorities. I don’t like clutter and having an excessive amount of anything, especially things I don’t really need. Taking all of that into consideration, I’d say that minimalism is the perfect way of living for my personality.
This lifestyle has shown me that less is really better, and having time to do what I love is more important than having stuff. I’m not struggling to pay bills for possessions because most of everything I own is paid for. I don’t waste time on things that serve me no interest or add no value to my life. Most of all, I’ve learned that it doesn’t take much to be happy in this world; despite society telling us to do more, and buy more. If you take the time, you can truly find joy in the simple things.
I’d love to hear what you think about minimalism! Do you think that less is better? Why or why not? Leave your answers in the comment box below!